Improvement in apparatus for towing canaii-boats



than of nie Cay', upny, and scalof New arm-k, have 1 nseot rails,cables, `or chainssuspended across erover ballowtheboatsto run underthesaine; also, Vby the use of enginesand machinery placed vin theboator boats,` of such kindand constructiouas shall be necesl 4sary towk'onf said suspended rails, cablcs,'o`r chains .ina 'Way terrorel thebqatferbeats rails, cables, or lchains sl'ispendecioverI thecanals, withk The second part of-the ,inyentiou,..

o lto the construction andjoperationofjthe machinery i `z. yplacedtinthe; boatfwllichA acts` gn- `the. said rails,'cables. orchains, to propel thelboatpv'ill `bemade the subject i ofanotherpateutfand will not bejdescribed here.. y To. enableothe1s'.,skilied-in thelartto make. nseof our invention, we wiliproceedto describe, the precise 1 `construction and operation ot' thefrstpartfthereof. l

j 'lheih-e,arefouusheetso f I l wingmakingpart of In, all `the ,drawing,liliefiguresrepiesent `like parts.

` .specht/ely, sidetelevation,r planfandend elevation of, a portion ofthe canal, with'avre cables suspended over supporting thecabls v i Sheet.NW2

jblcs, and rods, withthe methods of .constructing andiauttachingthesame, togetlierwithall the d etails nec'- essary thereto.-

`sides of theioanal. Jlheyarejdriven firmly in the. earth as piles,orset iu masonry or timber, as may be found be made` firm` y intheirsetting-, to provide especially.

. We, ALBERT H. Exvr'almf and GABniEnLEynnrcnf inventcda new andimprovedSystem of "Steam 'Tow-` age on Canals, ofA which the followingis aspecification.

l Our'inventionconsists in providing means totow` or i i propelboatsoncanals and nayigable.rivers,without the propelling power acting directly`upon, thewater, bythe ntheretotheentire'length, and'at a heightvs'utiicientto Itimbors,or castings placed in the ground.

In many eases, they may be advantageously secured f by driviugpilesfirmly into the ground, then ,passing 4 ,Y y the bracerods No. 37through them, and drawingnp i y n The first part of the invention, viz.,thatv relating; to @the constructionsnspension ope1ation, `and useof theall the details necessary,therefonjs the part of the-inf tively,a:-side,eleyjation, plan,1apd end .elevation off -a u l also, a boat,showing, in. plan and end retention, fthej-,rnethod o ,connecting themachinery most.eonneni'eutqatthe place of .erection` They should *1;ingegeven/mnt In APBRTUS PoR `roxanne CANALLBQATS;

' helclidule refen'edto 'nfthese Iletters Patent part of tnesame. l I i`against settling, as aheavy downward pressure is put.l

upon them. vThey may bemade of cast iron. Imade v of wood, they shouldbe. treated bythe Robbins, or a other reliable process, to preventdecay.: i p Y upper end with a east-iron-cap, 16 and `17, Sheet No.` 4.f

y Through .this cap an Iiron rod or bolt, No. 38, shownV Y only invjigs. .16 and 17, Sheet No.4, ,runs into the `,Ap"osts.; 'lhislboltsecures brace-rods No. 37, shown in iigsxl andv17, VSheet No. 4,;anilinall `the iigures of4 f fsheetslN os..1 .and 2. "These brace-rods No. 37-must be firmly anchored to contiguous rocks, or to masonry on SheetsNos. l and `2, and are pieces No. 59.

. Having firmly secured four f the posts No. 39 in their position, twoon one side of theoanal and close fto the edge of the water, and two onthe 'opposite side just outside of the tow-path, and atsuitabledistances 'from each other-, weI nextfsuspend five. metal rods, (usuallyof iron,) pieces Nos. 6, 7,5, 6, and?, across y the-canal, and'securethem to' the tops `of the pests= No. 39, asl shown pin igsf 16 and` 1-7,`Sheet-No. 4, and I of such lengths: that piece No. 5 will hang aboutone V,foot below -theftop -of the posts No. 39.-- The posts should be ofsuch length that the rod' 5. will not be i f Iowcnthan thennder sideofithefbridges over the 4'ca- Itsho'uld usually be-afew ineheshighenfRoda No. 5 should have a turn-buckle placed. in it, (piece`62,)asshowninig. 6, sheet- 2. The two adjoining posts shouldlbe .placedso that the an'gle at B, sheet 1, between the rods and 7, is aboutuinetydegrees, the relations between the lengths,included angle, andconsequent strain upon them, being sucuh :that,"withf this angle, theleast amount of material is required in f thema .a i y l nal.

- a Having secured one'set of flour posts, by their braces No.` 37,a ndsuspendedtherods Nos. 6 '7"5 6 I'7,- we next erect another set of fourposts, No. 39, and v .secure by braces No. 37,-auchored, as before,andsusi pend .from their top rods 6, 7 5, 6,'and 7, as before, andcontinue thence these f sets, at suitable distances,` over theentirecanal..v We usually put the lposts in fsuch positions as to, bring rodsNo. 5fron'1- onehundred and.l `fty to two hundred and fifty feet apart.Y A distance i. of twoh'undred feet-is very good. If .tlietraflic is notlargeon the oanahwe'may dispense with. piece No. 5, and use but one railorcable 4parallel with the canal. Boats-running `either way will thenmake use of thc-'same cable; but, when the www l When made ofwood,.theyshould becapped ou the ,i as shown inflligures traffic islarge we prefer two cables. or rails, as shown Vin vall the plans onSheets Nos. 1 and 2, when two cables or rails are -used, so that boatsrunning one way always make use ofthe same cables or rails, andboatsrunning the other way always usetbc other. We may make rods 6 and 7 ofdifferent sizes, proportional to the strain that shall come on them;.but these strains are the same if boats run both ways on the same cableor rail.

Pieces Nos. 5, 6, and 7, are connected, as shown at A, fig. 5, sheet 2,and A. A', Figures 29 and 30, sheet 3, where they are bolted or rivetedto piece 1, by means of bolts or rivets No. 4 or they are fastenedtogether as shown at B,vfig. 2, Sheet N o. 1, and B B, Figures 12, 13,14, and 15, sheet 4, where they are riveted or bolted to piece No. 35 byrivets or 'bolts No. 34.

They may also be fastened together, as shown, by being made of the formshown in figs. 13 and 14, sheet 4, and then riveted or bolted to pieceNo. 12e, Figure 36, sheet 3, or to piece No. 30, Figures 22 and 24,sheet 3.

They may be fastened together, also, by being strung on the bolts No 51,Figures 7, 8, and 9, sheet 4, or on bolt No. 58, Figure l0, sheet 4, orbolts No. 12, Figure 35, sheet 3, where they are held in position lbylock-nuts No. 10; or, they are bolted or riveted together by two boltspassing through them, and pieces 12, as shown in Figures 33 and 34,Sheet No. 3, sus-- pended over the canal, and parallel thereto, on thecables 26 26, shown in plan, and two elevations in figs. 1, 2, and 3,sheet 1; or the rails 2 2, shown in figs 4, 5, and 6', in elevation,plan, and elevation in figs. 4, 5, and 6, sheet 2.

A, chain may be used instead of cable or rail, hut we prefer rails ofsuitable section. The H-section has many advantages over all other formsfor this purpose, on account ofthe facility of' splicing and supportingit, without the splicing and supports interfering with the machinerythat runs upon or against it. When an H- section rail is used, themachinery used to run against it to propel the boat is much simpler thanif a cable isy used, and both the machinery and rails are much moredurable than are the cables, and the machinery necessary to work withthem.

Thecables are suspended by passing through the loops or bands, pieces No. 30, figs. 22 and 24, sheet 3, or by passing through pieces No. 31,figs. 12, 13, and 15,' sheet 4, in each of which cases the band isfirmly fixed to the cable by means of 'the rivets or bolts 41--41 infigs. 22 and 24, or 32--32 in figs.12, 13, and 15.

These band 30 and 31 may, if necessary to prevent slipping through them,be sotdered4 to the cables.

These bands are xed, by rivets or bolts, to pieces No. 35, 5, 6, and 7.The rails 2 2 are suspended, by being bolted or riveted, to pieces No.50--50 by bolts or rivets N o. 49, as shown in figs. Nos. 7, 8, and 9,at M, sheet 4, by being bolted or riveted to pieces No. 55 by bolts or'rivets No. 57, figs. 10 and 11, sheet 4, by being bolted o r riveted topieces No. 13 by bolts or rivets No. 3, shown in figs. 31, 32, 33, 34,35, and 36, where pieces Nos. 50, 55, and 13 are supported by the boltsNos. 51, 58, or 12", which pass through the ends of' pieces 5, 6,.and 7,or by bolt No. 12, secured to pieces 5, 6, and 7, bypassing through theband N o. 9, which is riveted or bolted to Nos. 5, 6, and 7, and where12 is kept from slipping in N o. 9 by the use of the nuts Nos. l0 10. Orpieces Nos. 50, 55, and 13 are supported by bolts 12 and 12, bolted orriveted directly to pieces 5, 6, and 7.

Rails No. 2 2 may'also be supported as shown in Figures 29 and 30,'sheet 3, where they are bolted or riveted directly to piece No. l bybolts or rivets No. 3, this piece No. 1 being bolted or riveted directlyto pieces Nos. 6, 5, and 7 by bolts or rivets No. 4.

Piece No. 1fig's. 29and 30,'sheet 3, and piece-No.

50, gs. 7 and 8, sheet 4, may each be made .of one piecc,or they may,for convenience of manufacture, be made in' two pieces.

In one span of the rails 2 2, reaching' from A to H, fig. 5, sheet 2,cach rail is usually made up of a short heavy piece, 2, from four to tenfeet long at joints A and H, and two long pieces, about one hundied feetlong, spliced together at the center of the span, and spliced to theheavy pieces 2" at A and This heavy piece 2 at the place of support 1s-needed on account of the extra strain' at that place.

This splicing is accomplished as shown at O and Q in figs. 7 and 8,sheet 4, where we'make a splice in such a way as not to weaken the rail,by first upsetting the end of the small rail sufficiently to make theholes for the bolts or rivets 48 and 54 without reducing the section ofthe rail below the average section elsewhere, and then bolt or rivet therailstogether by means of the bolts or rivets 48 and 54 and pieces 46and 47, or 52 and 53.

Tile pieces 46 and 47, or 52 and 53, should fill the space between theflanges of the rail, and be of such thickness that, after they have beendrilled for the bolts 48 or 54, their minimum section will he equal tothe average section of the long rails.

The pieces 52 and 53 are welded to the end of the long rail7 to avoidriveting or bolting.

The heavyvrail is, of course', weakened by the rivets or bolts passingthrough it, but is still as strong as the light rail at its averagesection.

The rails or cables are put under heavy tension when erected, so as tobring them upto a nearly horizontal position; but a rail of two hundredfeet in length may sag one or two feet in the center.

Both rails and cables are constantly changing their length on`account'of the change of temperature; and thischange of length changesthe sag or deflection of the rail or cable. l

Should this change or deflection be so much as to trouble ns, it lmay becorrected in the rail by making the joint at the point of support, asshown in figs. 31 and 32. or 33 and 34, where the strains on thcrails 22 are carried hy the lugs 13 to the springs No. 8; thence to nuts N o.11 and bolts l2 or 12.

It will be' observed that, as the rails contract, they will compress thesprings (if` these are properly proportioned) without increasing thestrains on the rails sufficiently to injure them; and, when the railscxpand, the springs expand also, and so keep the rails from sagging toomuch. i

In fig. 35, we show four springs to a single joint, whereby the strainon such spring is but half as much.

In figs. 35 and 36, we show a steel coil-spring, No. 14, filled withrubber, while in figs. 31, 32, 33, and 34 we show involute springs, No.8; but any convenient form which is suicicntly stiff, and not too bulky,may be used.

The joint may be made as at fig. 36, except with the springs left out,and the dccction adjusted from time to time, as the temperature changes,by simply turning the nuts No. 11; and this bolt, if used as anadjusting-bolt, may, perhaps, better be placed at the splice in thecenter ofthe span. This joint-will then best hc madcby placing piecesNo. 13 on each side of the rail; that is, top and bottom opposite toeach other, as shown at 36, and then the strains on pieces 13 will bebut half as much as on those in fig. 36.

We may also arrange them in this way, and use the springs No. 14 or 8,and the loads on the springs and strains on the pieces 13 will be buthalf as much, and, being on opposite sides of the rail, will not strainthe rail so much, there being no tendency to rotation when so placed.

We have shown in fig. 36 this joint at the center of the span, with thebolts 12d on both sides of the rails, and springs on one end of the bolt12d. We

of part of the strain,

3 and4, wherepieces 18 and `27, gs. 25, and 22, and 24, are made'ofconvenient sizeand fornito act as a post .and nut. y with the footbolted to piece'130, as shownin figs. 22 and 24, sheet 3;r orthey mayhebolted to piece 35, `figs.v 13 and 15, 30, sheet3; or they l'may havea.tenon` on their foot Send, which may sit ,in a' step prepared andfastened to any of the rpieces. 30, l `they are tobe used* n I Piece27,gigs. 22`and `123, has supporting-lugs at- `the top, on which reststhe ring 28', to which `are se cured the rods 21,1shown1 in fig.:

`ig.r 25, sheet 3, has these `rods 21 directlytolugs 19, cast on itsupper end.

i i ShWll at C infigal i I purpose of keeping Pieces27 or 18 in anupright poi sition.xv l Y turnedby their heads `16, as ,shown in figs.22 and 25,

i 1 sheet 3, or figs. 1 and 3,' sheet 1.

t l These screws carry a saddlepiece, No. 15, over i which .pass cables`or rod-pieces 23 or 22, as shown at .E or D in lfig. 1, sheet 1.1 i

.l the mainl cable26by 1 as shownat figs. 18 and 19, sheet 4, where therivets -.se`curethe band from slipping. `They may be soldered i `-andlivets 42,'shown `in iigs. 26 and 21, sheet 4, and

j 25, shown in figs. 27 and 28, sheet 3, solder being used, u ifneccssary,in` each case.`

,or-rails, and properly secured .them in their places l in theboat-piece, No; 60, an engine, boiler, and 'ma- ,Nos 6161,

if we choose, or

springs, having the nutstnrnedffrom time to time, to

`e upor` correct forexpansion or contraction.

As therail expands and deilectsmore, itloses part o@ its initial strain1of l tensionl Y placed therein when `erected but removing the tension ifrom a barallows itto contractysogthat `this contraction, from removaltendsto correct thc expansion from the heat, and does correct a verysensible portion of such expansion. 1 7 f l In thense'oflongspanspwelmayprevent excessive deflection bythe use of theelevating-pieces D and E,

The details of mismanagement are suceden sheets They are usually iliadeoi' cast-iron,

sheet `4, orpiec'e No. 1, figs. 29 and `31,`and 3,5, or piece 1, withwhich 23, while piece 18, secured by bolts 20 These rods.` 21.` arefastened to rods 5, 6,and7, as and 3, sheet 1, and serve the screwing*into piecew`27 er; 18`are1screws No. 17,

`If a cablepiece,23, is usedpit maybe fastened to means'of' band 44 andrivets 45,

in the bandspif necessary," to prevent slipping.

Thescattachmentsfare shown in side elevations at F F', iig. 1, sheet`-1.If rods 22 areused, theyarc attached bybands 43 at L L in iig. T1, sheet1, orvby band 24 and nuts 25 l When these pieces are all intheir places,by turning up the screws 16 17 we raisc'the saddle-piece Y15,

cables at :the points of at- Havingerected suitableposts, rods, chains,cables,

with asuitable amount of deilection, we next place chinery necessarytoapply and operate the-two wheels rails will prevent their slipping asrment in a.`.l1orizontal direction.

for the purposes set forth.

whchare constructedwith iianges and" faces suitable to runonchains,`cables,

theiriction-between them andthe chains, cables, or they roll, and, asthe boat without and carry, propel, or

they are rotated by the engine in slipping, they are carried along,towtlie boat along with them.

- The descriptionof the machinery to run"tlese Y wheels' will be madethe subject of another patent.

In ixing upon the proper distances between pieces 5 5, which constituteone span or'section, weniay, if

we ch'oose, make this distance quite large, and then provide anintermediate support or supports, which `shallbe of a kind simply tokeep the rail or cable from sagging, `which supports on curves shouldalso sustain the cablcor rail, and prevent it from more-f Having thusdescribed our invention,

What we here claim, and desire to secure by LettersjPatent, is`` 1. Thecombination and arrangement of the suspending-rods 6 7 5 6 7 `with thesuspended rails 2 2 or cables 26 2,6, when suspendedover a canal, as and2.. The combination and arrangement of the sus- -pendingrods 6' 6 7 withthe suspended rail 2 or ca-' ble 26, when suspended over a canal, as andfor AtheV purposes 'set' forth.

3. The combinationand arrangement,uiu each span or section of thesuspended rail 2, of a short heavyrail, 2', joined at each of itsextremities to a long light rail, 2, forth. p

` 4. lllhe combination and arrangement oftwo sets of thesuspending-rods, 6 7, 6 7, and 6 7, 6 7, with the rail `2, undertension, for the purpose set forth. 5. 'lhe combination and arrangementof twosets of the suspending-rods, 6 7 5 67 and 6 7 5 67, and rails 2 2,or'cables 26 26, with the rails or cables underA i' tension, as and forthe purposes set forth.

l 6. The combination and arrangement of the rails 2- 2, .lugs 13, 13,13, 13,-bolt 12", nuts'll, 11, 11, 11, and springs- 14, 14, 14, 14, asand for the purposes set forth.

7. The combination and arrangement of the cable 2 6, band 30, rivets 41,and supporting-rods 6, 7, 5, as v and for the purposes set forth.

8. The combination and arrangement of the rail 2,-

vlngs'l 1, supporting-rods 5 6 7, and bolts or rivets 4 4, as and forthe purpose set forth.

9. The cngibination and arrangement of the rails 2 2, lugs 13 13,springs 8 8, bolts 12, nuts 10 10, :l1 11,

and suspending-rods 5 6 7, as and for the purpose set forth.

10.` The combination and arrangement of the rail 2, lng 50, holt 5l, androdsL 5 6 7,' as and for the purposes set forth. 7 l o 11. Thecombination and arrangement of the band 30, post 18, supporting-rods 5 67, ixing-rods 21 21 21, screw and nut 17 16, saddle 15, cable 26, androd or cable 22, as 'and for the `purposes set forth.

A. H. EMERY.

GABRIEL LEVERICH.

`Witnesses:

A. DOYDEY, W. BINQHAM.

or railsLagainst l which theyare irmly'passed, to slich'an' extent thatsubstantially as and for'the purposes set l l

